Sailing yachts, on occasion, require a simple system for recharging batteries used to power various equipment on the yacht. In contrast to larger powered yachts with diesel generators, a sailing yacht may not use the engine and in many cases do not have an engine which is capable of charging the power supply.
A number of small wind driven power generators have been proposed for use in association with sailing yachts and powered yachts, however, they have not proven particularly satisfactory for high wind speeds. In a sailing yacht, the amount of available deck space which can be used for locating a wind driven power generator, is relatively small and any additional guide wires or other wide based support arrangements may interfere with the normal operation of the yacht. Furthermore, a sailing yacht that is under way is not typically horizontal and the angle of orientation is continually changing.
A further problem with both powered and sailing yachts is the mounting surface which is typically a deck, is normally slanted to accommodate drainage. The limited space on yachts and the fact that a wind driven power generator has a rotating wind, makes it necessary to keep the unit relatively small and allow mounting thereof in a position which does not unduly affect the operation of the yacht.
The present invention addresses a number of these problems and provides a wind driven power generator which in many applications is self supporting.